About this trip
Jivamukti Yoga with Jessica Stickler & Sarah McTee -- Meditation with Pilgrimage Leader, Cory Bryant
JOIN US for yoga practice in the mornings and exploration of the rich, ancient, Buddhist and Hindu traditions of the Kathmandu Valley in the afternoons. This special valley, tucked away in the Himalayan foothills, is a power-house for pilgrims and spiritual seekers from India, Nepal, Tibet, and the world! The living traditions of Hinduism and Buddhism converge here in age-old sacred worship.
What You Can Expect
It's Nepal! Be ready for the unexpected - we are!
On arrival in Kathmandu Airport our sweet local staff will greet you and from that point on you can just lean back and enjoy the ride! Rest assured we’ve got you covered from start to finish, including some “free time” as we thought you would appreciate that too.
- Daily visits and hikes to unforgettable and powerfully charged sacred sites, temples and monasteries
- Masterfully taught yoga & meditation each morning
- Delicious vegetarian meals (with vegan options)
- Free time and space for YOU
- The company of good friends
- Magical sunrises and sunsets
- Teachings with true masters, scholars, monks/nuns in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition
Sacred Sites Abound!
Stops on our journey include:
- Unesco World Heritage Sites
- Boudhanath Stupa - dating back to 5th century CE this is the largest and one of the most sacred site for Buddhists in the world - surrounded by a village of 40,000 Tibetans and 50 monasteries, this will be our home base
- Swayambhunath Stupa - over 1500 hundred years old and accessible via 365 steps - this shrine traces its origins back to that of the valley itself
- Patan Durbar Square - along the Silk Road and home to the old palace of the kingdom dating back to Ashoka and the 3rd century BCE
- Bhaktapur Durbar Square - one of the three original kingdoms dating back to at least the 12th century CE and located in the east corner of the valley - Bhaktapur is known for its artisans and is a super fun place to wander and shop
- Pashupatinath Temple - a millenia old Shiva temple - like the Varanasi of Nepal a cremation ground for local people
- Several monasteries, including
- Ka Nying Shedrup Ling Monastery (where we'll receive teachings from Khenpo Tulku Tokpa - a reincarnated lama);
- Thrangu Monastery (in the hills of Namo Buddha),
- AND a Buddhist nunnery - Nagi Gompa where we'll have lunch and practice meditation with the amazing head of the nunnery - Ani Gyan Tara
- Pharping - a sacred Newar town on the southern edge of the valley that’s chock full of monasteries, meditation caves and an amazing Vajrayogini Temple!
- Kailashnav Mahadev - the world's tallest Shiva at 143 meters!
- The Reclining Vishnu at Budhanilkantha Temple - a most sacred site and home to the largest stone carving in Nepal
- And many more local temples and stupas will come as we progress on our pilgrimage through the valley!
REFUND POLICY
Deposits are nonrefundable for any reason.
Trip payments are nonrefundable for any reason.
The only refunds offered are in the case wherein TSP cancels the trip, in which case TSP will refund in full - excluding credit card and other service fees.
What’s included
- LodgingComfortable locally owned and operated
- MealsMany of your meals are included
- YogaTaught by master teachers
- MeditationGuided daily practice with highly experienced teachers
- Admittance to all sitesWe've got you covered
- TransportationAll local transportation including airport pickup and dropoff
What’s not included
- AirfareTo/from Kathmandu
- ShoppingLots of fun items - you'll have time to explore
- Some mealsWe build in free time for you and this includes a few of our meals
- VisaNepal Visas may be obtained on arrival and vary from $30 to $125 depending on the length of your stay
Available Packages
Shared room includes 2 beds and private bath (unless you request one bed). In some cases we may be able to accomodate triple occupancy rooms as well, so let us know if that is desired.
Single traveler - private room and bath at each of the 3 lodgings/hotels on our itinerary.
Note, for the 3rd leg - Namo Buddha Resort has a limited number of private cabins and they do include a wash basin and toilet, but showers are available in a separate (very nice) shower house located on the property.
In some cases we may request that you share a larger house at Namo Buddha -- the up side is that the larger houses come with a full bath. It may mean sharing a house, but you'd still have your own private space for sleeping, etc.
Available options
We pick you up early in the morning (around 5am) and transport you to the domestic airport terminal where you will board a small plane (approx 20 rows with one person per row). After a hot tea or coffee, the pilot will take you up for an epic view of the Himalayan snow peaks with Everest as the destination -- to view and then head back. We'll then transport you back to your hotel. The whole trip takes around 3 hours.
Our English speaking guide will pick you up at your hotel and take you on a walkabout sightseeing tour of the incredible Kathmandu. When you've had enough or the end of the day approaches, whichever comes first, he/she/they will transport you back to your hotel.
*Note, if you wish to tour any ticketed places/areas while out and about you'll need to cover those entrance fees yourself.
Chitwan National Park was established in 1973 as the Royal Chitwan National Park and was granted the status of a World Heritage Site in 1984. It covers an area of 952.63 km2 (367.81 sq mi) in the subtropical Inner Terai lowlands of south-central Nepal. It ranges in elevation from about 100 m (330 ft) in the river valleys to 815 m (2,674 ft) in the Sivalak Hills.
We'll book you in a lovely hotel/resort for your stay with the following (flexible) 3-day, 2-night ALL-inclusive program:
Day 01
Welcome Drink upon arrival
Check In
Briefing About Program
Lunch
Walking Tour
River Side Sunset View
Dinner
DAY 2
Wake Up Call
Tea/Coffee
Breakfast
Jeep Safari on sharing basis
Canoeing on Sharing basis on the Rapati River
Lunch
Crocodile Breeding Center Tour
River Side Sunset View
Tharu/Derai Cultural Dance Show
Dinner
DAY 03
Wake Up Call
Tea/Coffee
Breakfast
Departure
Tranport to/from the park takes about 5 hours (160km) and you'll be driven in a modern clean car or SUV.
Boudha is the final location of our pilgrimage. If you'd like us to reserve additional nights for you to extend your stay we're happy to do so. You can select the number of nights you'd like to add here. Or we can always add this on later.
Vajra is the first location of our pilgrimage. If you'd like us to reserve additional nights for you to extend your stay we're happy to do so. You can select the number of nights you'd like to add here. Or we can always add this on later through thespiritualpilgrim.com
Itinerary
Exploring the vibrant Swayambunath area - including excursions to nearby World Heritage sites!